Poultry shackle

ABSTRACT

A shackle having a rod for extending and supporting an eviscerated bird in a position so that moisture can drip from the bird as the shackle is moved by an overhead conveyor. The shackle has means for pivoting the rod from a generally upright position at which it supports the bird to a downwardly extending position at which the bird can gravitate from the rod. The pivoting means can operate to return the rod to its upright position.

United States Patent 1 [111 3,715,026 Barnes 1 1 Feb. 6, 1973 I54!POULTRY SHACKLE 3.032.172 5/1962 Jensen ..l98/l77 [75] Inventor: OnaldR. Barnes, Oakdale, Calif.

Primary Examiner-Edward A. Sroka [73] Assignee: John Mohr 8: Sons,Milwaukee,

AuorneyTownsend and Townsend Wis.

22 Filed: Sept. 21, 1970 1 1 ABSTRACT 21 App| 73,993 Y A shackle havinga rod for extending and supporting an eviscerated bird in a position sothat moisture can drip from the bird as the shackle is moved by anover-. head conveyor. The shackle hasmeans for pivoting Fieid "E' 78 157/44 I the rod from a generally upright position at which it supportsthe bird to a downwardly extending position p at which the bird cangravitate from the rod. The [56] References cued pivoting means canoperate to return the rod to its UNITED STATES PATENTS upright Position-3,298,500 1/1967 Jensen 198/177 12 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures PATENTEDFEBBran SHEET 1 BF 3 FIG. I 8* a mm NA B M m N, 0 v/ ATTORNEYS PATENTED FEB6 I975 sum ear 3' INVENTOR. ONALD RBARNES ATTORNEYS BY W PATENTEDFEH191s v 3.715.026

SHEEI aur 3 FIG.?

INVENTOR.

ONALD R. BARNES WW Mum ATTORNEYS POULTRY SIIACKLE This invention relatesto improvements in poultry shackles and, more particularly, to a shacklefor supporting a bird in a position so that moisture can drip from thebird.

During the evisceration of poultry, ice water is used to chill the birdsand this water must be removed before the birds are frozen; otherwise,the water will freeze and add to the weight of the birds. Thus, it isdesired that the water be removed and the simplest way of doing this isto allow the water to drip from the birds.

The present invention is directed to a shackle which can support adressed bird in a position at which water can drip from the bird as theshackle moves under the influence of an overhead conveyor. The shacklealso has means for pivoting the position which supports the bird in adirection and to a location at which the bird can gravitate from theshackle, whereby it can be directed to a collection station. Means canalso be provided to cause the bird supporting portion to beautomatically pivoted as a function of the location of the shackle alonga predetermined path. Thus, the speed of the conveyor can be adjusted toassure a minimum drip time for a bird supported by the shackle. Theshackle can thereby provide a means which allows for quick removal ofmoisture from a dressed bird with a minimum of operator attentioninasmuch as the only function of the operator is to place the bird onthe shackle. The bird is automatically removed from the shackle at theproper location after the desired drip time has elapsed.

One embodiment of the shackle utilizes a hanger for attachment to anoverhead conveyor with the hanger having guide means for supporting apair of rods on which a pair of birds can be impaled when the rods aregenerally vertically disposed. An actuating rod is pivotally connectedto the bird support rods and is movable in a direction to cause the rodsto move from their upright positions to downwardly extending positionsat which they allow the birds to gravitate therefrom. The guide meansprovides sufficient support for the rods as they move between theupright and downwardly extending positions. The actuating rod has meansthereon for engaging a cam or other structure to cause movement of theactuating rod as a function of the movement of the shackle itself. Thus,the pivoting action of the bird support rods can be made automatic tothereby eliminate the need for operator attention as the birds have beenplaced on the support rods.

The present invention also contemplates the abovementioned shackle incombination with means adjacent to the path of the shackle for actuatingthe bird support rods to cause them to pivot into their downwardlyextending positions as a function of the location of the shackle alongthe path. Such means comprises a cam which causes movement of theactuating rod in one direction to pivot the support rods downwardly,whereby the birds carried thereon can gravitate therefrom. Since theshackle is constructed so that the bird support rods can remain ineither of their two positions, the actuating means includes another camfor causing movement of the actuating rod in the opposite direction asthe shackle continues to move. Thus, the bird support rods are returnedto their initial positions.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved shacklehaving means for supporting a bird in 2 a position to allow moisture todrip from the bird and to allow supporting means to be moved into aposition at which the bird can gravitate from the shackle so that theshackle is suitable for use in. a conveyor system which extends betweenan evisceration station and a bird collection station at which the birdscan, for instance, be placed in plastic bags prior to being frozen formarketing.

Another object of this invention is to provide a shackle of the typedescribed wherein the shackle has a bird support pivotly mounted on ahanger adapted to be secured to an overhead conveyor with the birdsupport being movable from a generally upright position at which it cansupport a bird to a downwardly extending position at which it canrelease the bird by gravitation so as to render the shackle automatic inoperation by virtue of the actuator by causing the pivoted movement ofthe bird support.

A further object of this invention is to provide a shackle incombination with cam structure and an overhead conveyor with the shacklebeing automatically actuated by engagement with the cam structure as theshackle is moved by the conveyor to cause gravitation of the birds fromthe shackle as a function of the position of the shackle along its pathof travel to thereby eliminate the need for operator attention once thebirds have been placed on the shackle.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent as the followingspecifications reference being had to the accompanying drawings for anillustration of an embodiment of the shackle.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational'view of the shackle when the bird supportrods thereof are in upright positions;

FIG. 2 is a view similar to FIG. 1, but illustrating downwardlyextending positions of the support rods.

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the shackle when the rods are inthe upright positions;

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a cam structure for actuating the shackleto cause movement of the bird support rods as they move under theinfluence of a conveyor system; I

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the structure 0 FIG. 5; and

FIG. 7 is an end elevational view of the cam structure.

The shackle of this invention is denoted by the numeral l0 and includesa hanger member 12 comprised of a pair of spaced rods 14 and 16 whichare interconnected at their upper ends by a curved segment 18, thelatter defining means for connecting the hanger member to an overheadconveyor 19 (FIG. 7) so that the shackle can be suspended from theconveyor and moved thereby in a predetermined direction and along apreselected path of travel.

An inverted U-shaped, rigid strap 20 is secured to the lower ends ofrods 14 and 16 and extends downwardly therefrom. Strap 20 has a pair ofsides 22 and 24 which are generally parallel with each other and areequally spaced from the plan in which rods 14 and 16 are disposed. Eachof the sides 22 and 24 has-a slot 26 therein through which a pair ofbird support rods 28 extends. The purpose of sides 22 and 24 is tosupport rods 28 when the latter are in generally upright positions asshown in FIG. 1 and when they are in generally downwardly extendinginclined positions as shown in FIG. 2. In the upright positions rods 28can support a pair of dressed birds 30 shown in dashed lines in FIG. 1with the birds being impaled on the support rods. When the birds are inthe positions shown in FIG. 1, the moisture in the birds can driptherefrom. When the bird support rods are moved into the positions shownin FIG. 2, the birds can gravitate from the rods. A pair of rigid bars32 interconnect with ends of sides 22 and 24 to maintain the samesubstantially parallel with each other.

Each of the bird support rods 28 has a first, generally straight segment34, second generally straight segment 36 and third curved segment 38interconnecting segments 34 and 36. Segment 38 extends through thecorresponding slot 26 and normally engages strap '20 at the lower end ofthe slot. In this way, each bird support rod 28 is supported at alltimes and even during the time when it is moving between the uprightposition of FIG. 1 and the downwardly extending position of FIG. 2.

The lower end of each segment 34 is pivotly secured by a pin 40 to thelower end of a central, actuating rod 42 which extends upwardly into thespace between rods 14 and 16 (FIG. 3). A hole is provided in strap 20 toreceive central rod 42, the hole being sufficiently large to allow thecentral rod to move up and down relative to the strap. A disk 44 isrigidly secured to rods 14 and 16 and has a central hole for shiftablyreceiving central rod 42. Disc 44 also serves to strengthen hangermember 12.

A second disc 46 is secured to the upper end of central rod 42. Disk 46has a pair of holes 48 and 50 for shiftably receiving rods 14 and 16,respectively. Disc 46 is adapted to engage a tripping device, such as acam, for causing automatic elevation of central rod 42 as a function ofthe movement of the shackle along its path of travel. In the lowerposition of central rod 42, segments 36 of bird support rods 28 bearagainst bearing elements 52 secured to respective sides 22 and 24. This,therefore, limits the downward movement of central rod 42 yet allowssegments 28 to be supported at the low ends in respective slots 26.

Conveyor 19 is conventional in construction in that it includes anoverhead I-beam 54 having an upper flange 55 and a lower flange 56 asshown in FIG. 7. A yoke 58 has a pair of rollers 60 with the rollersbeing supported on lower flange 56 for movement along the same. Thelower end of the yoke has means, such as a ring 62 which can be coupledto segment 18 in any suitable manner. Thus, hanger member 12 will dependfrom yoke 58 and move therewith. Generally, beam 54 will be horizontalbut it can be inclined as well to cause the shackle to follow apredetermined path. Also, the conveyor may have a number of yokes 58 forattachment to a number of shackles l0. 7

A tripping device suitable for use with shackle is broadly denoted bythe numeral 64 and is illustrated in FIGS. 5-7. Device 64 includes twopairs of rods 66 which depend from a rectangular frame 68 secured toupper flange 55 of beam 54 in any suitable manner, such as by securing apair of rigid, L-shaped bars 69 to flange 55. Rods 66 are disposed onrespective sides of beam 54 as shown in FIG. 7 and are secured at theirgenerally horizontal rod segments 74, as shown in FIG.

6. Rods 72 operate to provide a camming action for moving disk 46upwardly to thereby cause central rod 42 to be elevated as the shacklemoves in the direction of arrow 76 (FIG. 6). Rods operate to engage theupper surface of disk 44 to hold the shackle itself from elevating asdisk 46 is elevated. When disk 46 reaches segment 74, it will have beenelevated a distance sufficient to cause bird support rods 28 to be inthe downwardly extending positions of FIG. 2.

To return the bird support rods to their upwardly extending positions,additional tripping means is provided for device 64 including a pair ofinclined rods 78 which are secured to frame 68 and depend downwardlytherefrom and in the downstream direction with reference, to the forwardmovement of the shackle. Rods 78 are on opposite sides of beam 54, thelatter being omitted from FIG. 5 for purposes of clarity. Rods 78converge toward each other to form a pair of generallyparallel segments80 which are also inclined and are generally in the same vertical planesas respective segments 74. Segments 80 are, therefore, operable toengage the upper surface of disk 46 to cause the latter to movedownwardly as the shackle continues to move forwardly. The length of thesegments 80 is such as to assure the return disk 46 to its initiallowered position shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, whereupon bird support rods28'are caused to be raised from their bird-release positions of FIG. 2to their bird-supporting positions of FIG. 1.

In use, shackle 10 is coupled with conveyor 19 with the plane of rods 14and 16 being in the plane of movement of the shackle as shown in FIG. 7.Thus, bird support rods 28 will be in a plane which is substantiallyperpendicular to the plane of movement of the shackle.

Initially, rods 28 will be in their upright positions as shown inFIG. 1. A pair of eviscerated birds 30 are then placed on the supportrods and are supported thereby as shown in the dashed lines of FIG. 1.The weights of the birds will not be great enough to cause rods 28 to beshifted outwardly and downwardly into the positions shown in FIG. 2because the rods must pivot about pin 40. However, sides 22 and 24 ofstrap 20 hold rods against movement unless rod 42 is elevated. Segments36 of rods 28 are almost vertical so that there is a very small momentarm from the pivot point of each bird support rod 28 to the line ofaction of the weight of the bird on the rod. Thus, the central rod ismaintained or stabilized in its lowered position, and bird support rods28 remain upright with the birds thereon even for relatively heavybirds.

As the shackle moves under the influence of the conveyor, moisture candrip from the birds. The speed of the shackle will be controlled toprovide a predetermined dripping time. The shackle will eventuallyapproach tripping device 64 and enter the space between rods 70. Theentrance ends of rods 70 are flared outwardly so that the shackle ismoved into the proper orientation before disk 46 is elevated. In suchorientation, rods 14 and 16 will be in a vertical plane disposed betweenrods 70.

Continued movement of the shackle will cause the inclined rods 72 toengage disk 46. Rods '72 will then act as a cam to elevate disk 46 andthereby rod 42 to cause pin 42 to be elevated. This, in turn, causes aslight elevation of rods 28 until the rods are free to pivot about sides22 and 24 downwardly with segments 38 as the fulcrums of such pivotalmovement. Thus, continued upward movement of rods 42 will cause rods 28to move through an arc until rods 28 are in their downwardly extendingpositions shown in FIG. 2. The pivotal movement of rods 28 willeventually become such that the birds thereon can slide off the rods andinto bins or other collection devices below the path of travel of theshackle. Continued movement of the shackle will cause disk 46 to engagesegments 80 so that the disk will be forced downwardly to cause rods 28to be raised to their initial positions of FIG. 1.

What is claimed is:

l. A poultry shackle comprising: an elongated hanger member adapted tobe suspended from an overhead conveyor; a first rod mounted on thehanger member for up and down movement relative thereto; a second rodpivotly connected to the lower end of the first rod and extendingoutwardly therefrom; and guide means carried by the hanger member forsupporting the second rod, said means being disposed to permit thesecond rod to move from a first, generally upright, bird-supportingposition to a second, downwardly extending, bird-releasing positionwhere said first rod is moved in one direction relative to said hangermember.

2. A shackle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide means includean elongated element having a slot therethrough, the second rodextending through the slot and engageable with the element at one end ofthe slot, whereby the second rod can be supported by the element.

3. A shackle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second rod includes apair of spaced, generally straight, segments and an arcuate segmentinterconnecting said straight segments, said arcuate segment beingdisposed to engage said guide means as said second rod moves from saidfirst position to said second position.

4. A shackle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said first rod has meansat its upper end for engaging a cam, said second rod being movable fromsaid first position to said second position when said first rod iselevated.

5. A poultry shackle comprising: an elongated hanger member having meansat one end thereof for attaching the same to an overhead conveyor; apair of spaced guides secured to and extending downwardly from the lowerend of the hanger member, each guide having a slot therethrough; a firstrod extending longitudinally of said hanger member and being shiftablerelative thereto, said first rod disposed between said guides; a pair ofsecond rods, each second rod being pivotally mounted at one end thereofto the lower end of the first rod and extending through the slot of arespective guide, each second rod extending upwardly when the first rodis in a lowered position and extending downwardly when the first rod isin a raised position, whereby a bird carried on a second rod will becaused to gravitate therefrom when the first rod moves from the loweredposition to the raised position.

6. A shackle as set forth in claim 5, wherein said first veyor.

7. A shackle as set forth in claim 5, wherein each second rod has a pairof spaced, generally straight segments and an arcuate segmentinterconnecting the straight segments, the arcuate segment beingengageable with the adjacent guide and extending through the respectiveslot.

8. A shackle as set forth in claim 5, wherein said hanger memberincludes a pair of spaced third rods,

said first rod being disposed between said third rods and movablelongitudinally thereof.

9. A shackle as set forth in claim 5, wherein the guides are disposed atequally spaced locations on opposite sides of the first rod, the lowerend of the first rod being below said slots when the second rods extendupwardly.

10. Poultry handling apparatus comprising: a conveyor; a shackle havingmeans for attachment to the conveyor for movement therewith, saidshackle having a bird support shiftably mounted thereon for movementfrom a first, bird-supporting position to a second, bird-releasingposition and a vertically shiftable rod for moving the support from saidfirst position, to said second position; and a cam extending along thepath of travel of the shackle and disposed for elevating said rod,whereby a bird on said support will be released therefrom.

ll. Poultry handling apparatus comprising: a conveyor; a shackle havingmeans for attachment to the conveyor for movement therewith, saidshackle having a bird support shiftably mounted thereon for movementfrom a first, bird-supporting position to a second, bird-releasingposition and a vertical rod having a bearing element at its upper end,said rod being movable up and down, said support including a second rodpivotally secured at one end thereof to the lower end of the first rod,said second rod being generally upright when it is in the first positionand being inclined downwardly when it is in the second position, andmeans coupled with the second rod for supporting the same intermediateits ends when the latter is in either of said positions and providing afulcrum therefor to allow the second rod to pivot from one position tothe other position; a first cam adjacent to the path of travel of theshackle and engageable with the bearing element as the shackle moves inone direction to cause the first rod to be elevated to thereby cause thesecond rod to pivot from said first position to said second position;and a second cam engageable with the bearing element when the first rodis elevated to cause the latter to be moved downwardly and thereby causethe second rod to be returned to its first position, whereby a bt'id onsaid support will be released therefrom.

12. Apparatus as set forth in claim 11, wherein each of said camscomprises a pair of spaced, inclined rods.

a a a a

1. A poultry shackle comprising: an elongated hanger member adapted tobe suspended from an overhead conveyor; a first rod mounted on thehanger member for up and down movement relative thereto; a second rodpivotly connected to the lower end of the first rod and extendingoutwardly therefrom; and guide means carried by the hanger member forsupporting the second rod, said means being disposed to permit thesecond rod to move from a first, generally upright, bird-supportingposition to a second, downwardly extending, bird-releasing positionwhere said first rod is moved in one direction relative to said hangermember.
 1. A poultry shackle comprising: an elongated hanger memberadapted to be suspended from an overhead conveyor; a first rod mountedon the hanger member for up and down movement relative thereto; a secondrod pivotly connected to the lower end of the first rod and extendingoutwardly therefrom; and guide means carried by the hanger member forsupporting the second rod, said means being disposed to permit thesecond rod to move from a first, generally upright, bird-supportingposition to a second, downwardly extending, bird-releasing positionwhere said first rod is moved in one direction relative to said hangermember.
 2. A shackle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide meansinclude an elongated element haviNg a slot therethrough, the second rodextending through the slot and engageable with the element at one end ofthe slot, whereby the second rod can be supported by the element.
 3. Ashackle as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second rod includes a pairof spaced, generally straight, segments and an arcuate segmentinterconnecting said straight segments, said arcuate segment beingdisposed to engage said guide means as said second rod moves from saidfirst position to said second position.
 4. A shackle as set forth inclaim 1, wherein said first rod has means at its upper end for engaginga cam, said second rod being movable from said first position to saidsecond position when said first rod is elevated.
 5. A poultry shacklecomprising: an elongated hanger member having means at one end thereoffor attaching the same to an overhead conveyor; a pair of spaced guidessecured to and extending downwardly from the lower end of the hangermember, each guide having a slot therethrough; a first rod extendinglongitudinally of said hanger member and being shiftable relativethereto, said first rod disposed between said guides; a pair of secondrods, each second rod being pivotally mounted at one end thereof to thelower end of the first rod and extending through the slot of arespective guide, each second rod extending upwardly when the first rodis in a lowered position and extending downwardly when the first rod isin a raised position, whereby a bird carried on a second rod will becaused to gravitate therefrom when the first rod moves from the loweredposition to the raised position.
 6. A shackle as set forth in claim 5,wherein said first rod has means at its upper end for engaging a camsurface to cause elevation of the rod as a function of the movement ofthe hanger member by an overhead conveyor.
 7. A shackle as set forth inclaim 5, wherein each second rod has a pair of spaced, generallystraight segments and an arcuate segment interconnecting the straightsegments, the arcuate segment being engageable with the adjacent guideand extending through the respective slot.
 8. A shackle as set forth inclaim 5, wherein said hanger member includes a pair of spaced thirdrods, said first rod being disposed between said third rods and movablelongitudinally thereof.
 9. A shackle as set forth in claim 5, whereinthe guides are disposed at equally spaced locations on opposite sides ofthe first rod, the lower end of the first rod being below said slotswhen the second rods extend upwardly.
 10. Poultry handling apparatuscomprising: a conveyor; a shackle having means for attachment to theconveyor for movement therewith, said shackle having a bird supportshiftably mounted thereon for movement from a first, bird-supportingposition to a second, bird-releasing position and a vertically shiftablerod for moving the support from said first position to said secondposition; and a cam extending along the path of travel of the shackleand disposed for elevating said rod, whereby a bird on said support willbe released therefrom.
 11. Poultry handling apparatus comprising: aconveyor; a shackle having means for attachment to the conveyor formovement therewith, said shackle having a bird support shiftably mountedthereon for movement from a first, bird-supporting position to a second,bird-releasing position and a vertical rod having a bearing element atits upper end, said rod being movable up and down, said supportincluding a second rod pivotally secured at one end thereof to the lowerend of the first rod, said second rod being generally upright when it isin the first position and being inclined downwardly when it is in thesecond position, and means coupled with the second rod for supportingthe same intermediate its ends when the latter is in either of saidpositions and providing a fulcrum therefor to allow the second rod topivot from one position to the other position; a first cam adjacent tothe path of travel of the shackle and engageable with the beariNgelement as the shackle moves in one direction to cause the first rod tobe elevated to thereby cause the second rod to pivot from said firstposition to said second position; and a second cam engageable with thebearing element when the first rod is elevated to cause the latter to bemoved downwardly and thereby cause the second rod to be returned to itsfirst position, whereby a brid on said support will be releasedtherefrom.